Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), the global leader in integrated energy and chemicals, the European multinational integrated energy and petroleum company, TotalEnergies, and the Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC), have signed a joint development and cost-sharing agreement, aiming at evaluating the potential development of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in the Kingdom.
The announcement coincides with French President Emmanuel Macron’s official visit to the Kingdom. The collaboration seeks to leverage each company’s expertise to develop an SAF plant in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom.
The evaluation phase will focus on utilizing innovative engineering and technological solutions to recycle and process local waste or circular economy by-products, including cooking oils and animal fats, to produce SAF.
Amin Nasser President & CEO Saudi Aramco
“Addressing aviation emissions through low-carbon alternatives has become imperative in light of the expected growth in air travel demand, highlighting in this regard the crucial role of mega global energy companies like Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies. Addressing transportation emissions requires a wide range of approaches, and Aramco is committed to finding innovative solutions and contributing to global efforts to reduce emissions. Our goal is to establish a sustainable aviation fuel plant in the Kingdom with SIRC, benefiting both domestic and international airlines, particularly as the tourism and aviation sectors expand.”
Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies, expressed his enthusiasm for collaborating with Saudi Aramco and SIRC to assess SAF production in the Kingdom. He also stressed the importance of advancing efforts to decarbonize air transport.
CEO of SIRC Ziyad Al-Shiha noted that the partnership aligns with the company’s commitment to supporting the ambitious sustainability goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative, adding, “We are focusing on increasing waste-to-resource conversion rates, and this new collaboration with Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies to assess the feasibility of a renewable aviation fuel plant is a significant step toward advancing the circular economy in the Kingdom.”
